The part about your mic being set to always on in two apps you forgot about is what got me. That means those apps were listening the whole time and you had no clue, which is scary since most people never even check that setting. I went through my own phone after reading this and found three apps with mic access I never use.

My buddy got burned the same way, now he pulls the unit out first every time.

Oh man, this one got me. I was the same way for years, always inside cabins because I figured why pay for a room I'm never in. Then a bartender on a Mexico trip told me to just try sitting on my balcony during sail away instead of fighting crowds on the pool deck. First time I did it I was hooked, just watching the port shrink behind us with my feet up. Now I book at least a window if a balcony is too pricey, and honestly it does feel like two different trips. That waiter Marco sounds like a gem.